Fountain-pen



R. E. PERKINS.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.19, 1920.

13,69,1 84, Patented Feu-22,1921.

' FOUNTAIN-PEN.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that L'RIOHARD E.' PERKINS,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, khave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain-Pens, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain 1mprovements in fountain pens, and it is an vide a novel and improved device Vof this' general character wherein the barrel comprises two separable sections and which sections normally inclose a reservoir carried by said sections and wherein means lare provided so that upon relative lon .f ;itudinal movement of the sections of the barrel, writing fluid may be drawn within the `resevoir i through the writing end portion of the instrument.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device of this general character embodying two relatively movable members in felescopical engagement, one of said members constituting a reservoir provided with a normally closed opening in its vend portion remote from the writing end of the device and wherein the second member constitutes a suction element whereby upon relative movement of the members in one direction, the opening in the reservoir is opened and the writing fluid drawn into thereservoir through the writing end of the device.

Furthermore, it is an `object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character comprising two relatively movable Y members telescopically engaged one within the other. one ofsaidmembers constituting a reservoir and the second of said members constituting a suctioning element whereby relative movement of said members in one direction creates a vacuum whereby writing fluid ,may be caused to enter within the reservoir through the writing end of the implement.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination andan Specification of-Letters Patent. 'PatentedFe/li; 1921- Application led January 19, 1920.` -Serial `1\o.l352,381. i Y v l rangement of the several partsof my im'- proved pen whereby certainimportant advantages vare attained and thedevice rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageousy for use,

as. will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will' hereinafter bedeflnitely claimed. l

.In order thatmy invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with lreference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein: l

F'gure 1 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in-elevation of a fountain pen constructed in accordancewith an embodiment of my invention. i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinally through the end portion of the pen remote from the writing end thereof and with the cap omitted; and

Fig. 3 is a view in top planof the element herein employed for maintaining the compressible gasket in applied position. y

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, B denotes the barrel of my improved pen consisting of two separable sections, 1 and 2. Coacting with the adjacent end portions of the sections 1 and 2 is the coupling sleeve 3 havingits central portion internally threaded for engagement with the external threads produced on the adjacent ends of .the sections 1 and 2 and as is' particularly illustrated at el in Fig. 1. The coupling sleeve 3 serves to effectually maintain the sections 1 and 2 in assembled relation yet at the same time, permits the same to be readily separated for a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

VIn the present embodiment of my invention, the section 1 constitutes the writing tion ofthe bore of the section 1. Coacting with thel feed bar F in a conventional manner is the nib or pen point N. While the feed bar F may be of any type which willfully `comply with the `reguitements of prac# tice, I particularly prefer that the bar F be of thesame general character as the feed Y in assembled or connected relation, the outer end of said member 5 will terminate in close proximity to but spaced from the outer end of the barrel B whereby a chamber a` is provided and which chamber may be termed a vacuum chamber.

Initially the outer endV of the 'member 5 is open but the same has snugly engaged therein a cupped plug or cap 6, the open face of saidplug or cap 6 being outwardly directed. This plug or cap .6 may be maintained vin applied position in any desired manner but in the present embodiment of my invention, I show said plug or cap 6, as at 7, in threaded engagement with the adjacent end 1 portion of the member 5.

' rection away from the writing end thereof.

The base of the plug or cap 6 is provided with a plurality of restricted ports 8 normally closed by the valve 9 positioned within the cupped plug or cap 6. The valve 9 is preferably of rubber or kindred yieldable material and is constantly urged into closed position through the instrumentality of the expansible member 10. rIhe member v10 is herein disclosed as a coil spring encircling anV outstanding shank 11 secured to substantially the axial center of the base por.- tion 6a of the plug or cap 6 and said spring is interposed between the valve 9 and a disk or plate 12 disposed from the open face of the plug or cap 6. This plate 12 is preferably of the same diameter as, or slightly less diameter than, the bore of the section 2 of the barrel and extends upon and contacts the upper edge of the hollow member or reservoir 5. The disk or plate 12 is of such di.

ameter as-to have Ycontact with the outer or free margin or edge of the plug or cap 6 and is' held in such position through the medium at this time that when the valve 9 opens7 it moves outwardly of the barrel B or in a vdi- The outer end. of the barrel B or the end thereof remote from the writing end of the barrel is initially open but is adapted to be normally closed by a cap 15 herein diselosed as of a screw type. Snugly engaged within the outer end portion ofthe barrel B or more particularly thesection 2'of said barrel is a cupped plug or cap 16 having its open face also outwardly directed. 'Ihe plug or cap 16 is preferably in duplicate of the plug or cap 6 so that the same may be readily interchanged or more particularly to facilitaterthe assembly of my pen as it will not require either of the plugs or caps 6 or V16 to be of particular structure other than thaty hereinbefore described with respect to the plug or cap 6. For this reason the upper extremity of the bore of the section 2 of the barrel or that portion thereof forming the upper end of the vacuum chamber a is restricted to such size thatlt 1s ofthe same size as the bore of the hollow member 5,

Vthereby forming at the upper end of the vacuum chamber a shoulder b. The plug or cap 16 may be held within the section 2 of the barrel B in any desired manner but, as herein embodied, said cap is maintained in applied position, as indicated at 17 by threads.

Overlying the outer or open face of the plug or cap 16 is a disk or plate 18 having contact with the outer or free margin or edge of said plug or cap 16 and held in such position by the headed shank 19, alsohaving threaded engagement with the central portion of the base of the plug or cap 16.

The base 1611 of the plug or cap 16 is provided with a plurality of restricted ports 20 affording communication between the interior of said plug or cap 16 and the vacuum chamber a. These ports 20 are normally closed by the valve 21 arranged within the sible member 22 herein disclosed as a coil spring encircling the shank 19 and interposed between the valve 21 and the disk or plate 18. The valve 21 is also preferably of rubber or kindred material.`

rIhe disk or plate 18 is provided with the restricted. ports 23 which afford communication between the interior of the plug or cap 16 and a recess or pocket 2d produced in `1the inner face of the cap 16. Leading from the recess or pocket 24 and extending through the cap 15 to the atmosphere is a port 25.

26 denotes cap herein disclosed as of a slip type which coacts with the opposite end portions of the barrel B in a well known manner, and said cap 26 is also provided with the vent openings 27 as is well known.

Surrounding the member 5 and positioned between the inner or adjacentends of the sections 1 and 2 of the barrel is a gasket 28 of rubber or other yieldable or expansible material,and said gasket 28 is held against the adjacent end of section 2 of the barrel by a washer 29 loosely surrounding the member 5 but having its periphery in threaded engagement with the internal threads of the coupling sleeve 3, The washer 29 not only serves to maintain the gasket 28 in applied Vposition but can be readily manipulated to sired mannerbiit, as is particularly illustrated iii Fig. 3, it is provided with the diametrically opposed recesses or openings to provide means whereby a spanner wrench or other suitable implement may be engaged therewith to impart the desired rotation thereto.

Normally the sections 1 and 2 of the pen are in the assembly as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. llfhen it is desired to fill the member or reservoir 5, the section 1, upon relative rotation of the sections 1 and 2, is disengaged from theV coupling sleeve 3 whereby the sections 1 and 2 are capable of relative longitudinal movement. Upon such movement in one direction, a vacuum is created in the chamber c which chamber is increasedv 'during such movement. This vacuum results in holding the valve 21 in closed position andv opening the valve 9. Resultant suction effected by the vacuum results in the writing fluid being drawn into the reservoir 5 through the writing end of the pen or through the delivery conduits (not shown) in the feed bar F. Vheii the sections 1 and 2 are relatively moved in the opposite direction or one toward the other, the valve 9 closes and the valve 21 opens whereby the chamber a is pla-ced in communication with the atmosphere and such last named movement accomwhen the member or reservoir o ciently filled, lfind it of utmost import-ance to arrange within said member or reservoir plished without resistance. Y

f the reservoir 5 is not sufiiciently filled upon one stroke of the sections 1 and2, the same can be repeated until the desired filling of the reservoir is accomplished.

In order to prevent ingressV of air within the member 5 and also to clearly indicate is sufli- 5 a buoyant body 81, of any desired material. Thismember or body 31 rises with the liquid level within the member or reservoir 5 and also serves as a valve so that when the same, under the influence of the rising column of fluid within the member or reservoir 5. contacts with the base ofthe plug or cap 6, the ports 8 within said base portion are effectively closed and sealed. When the member or body 31 closes the ports 8, the relative separating movement of the sections 1 and 2 of the barrel B is checked so that the operator at once knows that the member or 'reservoir 5 has been sufficiently filled with the writing fluid. The body 31 is provided in its upper surface with a recess 32 adapted to accommodate the enlargement formed on the under surface of the cup shaped mem- 11 thereof, and this recess 32 communicates with a vertical opening 33 extending axially through the body 31 which permits the escape of anypocketed air. 1 Y

' It is to be understood that during a filling v operation, the wiring end portion of the pen is submerged or inserted Lwithin a source of writing fluid supply. l

In order that the function of the washer lber 6i for the receptionof the valve guide that as thev working face of the gasket 28 becomes worn as the resut of continued use,

the movement ofthe washer 29 toward the adjacent end of the section 2 of the barrel will resultin a further expansion of the gasket 28 so that the desired engagement of suoli gasket with the ber '5 may be restorec.

lt 'is to be noted that the tubular member 5'is of substantially uniform size throughout its length and is accordingly free from anyl projections which will prevent vits withdrawal from the section 2 of the barrel for the purpose .of cleansing or repairing. In fact, construction of the'upper end of the barrel section 2 and of the tubular member 5 is such as to render any necessary repairs eX- tremely simple and expeditious.

The end portion of the member 5 inserted within the section 1 ofthe barrel B may be -positivelyheld within said section 1 in any desired manner but preferably through the instrumentality of an, adhesive medium.

From thev foregoing description, it is 'thought to be obvious that'a pen constructed vin accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the periphery of themem- Y convenience and facility with which it may understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invent-ion in practice except as hereinafter claimed. f

It is also to be understood that the gasket 28 can be readily-expanded for requisite contact with the periphery of the member 5 by relative rotation of the Vsection 2 andthe `coupling sleeve-3 so that, at all times, an adjustment of the washer 29 is unnecessary. v

I claim i 1. A fountain pen comprising a barrel divided transversely into two sections, means for coupling said sections, a rigid hollow member carried by one of vthe sections and telescopically engaged with the second sec-V.

tion, said hollow member constituting a,

reservoir, said hollow member having its outer end spaced from the adiacent end of the second section when said sections are coupled whereby a vacuum chamber is af forded therebetween, said adjacent ends of the hollow member and second section of the barrel being providedv with normally closed 2. A fountain pen comprising a barrel di-V vided transversely into two sections, means for coupling said sections, a rigid hollow1 member carried by one of the sections and telescopically engaged with the second sec- -tion,'said hollow member constituting a reservoir, said hollow member having its outer end spaced from the adjacent end-of the second section when said sections are coupled whereby a vacuum chamber is afforded therebetween, said adjacent ends lof the hollow member and second section of the barrel being provided with normally closed ports, the port in the hollow member opening and the port of the second section closing upon separating movement of the sec tions and vice versa, said separating movement of the sections creating a vacuum in the chamber, and means operable under the influence of the fluid within the hollow member for closing the port in said member.

3. In a fountain` pen, the combination with a barrel comprising two sections longitudinally alined, means for detachably coupling adjacent end portions of said sections, a hollow member carried by one of the sections and telescopically engaged with the other section, said hollow member being provided with an opening for the ingress or egress of writing fluid, a cupped plug fitting within the outer end portion of the hollow member and provided with a port in communication with the interior of the hollow member, a valve positioned within said cupped plug and normally closing the port and a port in the adjacent end of the second section of the barrel and a valve normally closing said last named port, and a buoyant body within the hollow member inwardly of the plug, said buoyant body closing the opening in the plug when at the limit of its movement toward the plug.

4. In a fountain pen the combination with a barrel comprising two sections longitudinally alined, a hollow member carried by one of the sections and telescopically engaging the other section, said hollow member constituting a reservoir, check valves disposed in the outer ends of said hollow member and of the barrel section with which it is telescopically engaged, acoupling sleeve adapted to detachably connect the adjacent end portions of said barrel sections, a compressible member surrounding said hollow member and a washer surrounding said hollow member abutting said compressible member and adjustably engaging said coupling sleeve, said compressible member being disposed intermediate said washer and the end of said section with which said hollow member is telescopically engaged.

5. In a fountain pen, the combination section and opening in the same direction as f the check valve in the end of said hollow member.

6. In a fountain pen the combination with a barrel comprising two sections longitudinally alined, means for detachably coupling the adjacent ends of said sections, a hollow member arranged within the bore of one of said sections and secured thereto and telescopically engaging in the bore of the other of said sections, said hollow member being of uniform diameter throughout its length,

a valve disposed in the end of said hollow member telescopically engaging in the bore of said last named section and a check valve disposed in the outer end of said last named section, said check valves opening in the same direction and being adapted when the last named section of the barrel is reciprocated with relation to said hollow member to coact to form a vacuum within said hollow member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

RICHARD E. PERKINS. 

